SOTF ACT

The Act
The SOTF ACT was created by Danya and a few others to terrorize the American people. It has worked wonders, creating deadly shockwaves that have affected other parts of the world, as well. For a moment, a global project was in the works, but it was soon discarded so they could focus on getting the United States under their control first (ref: the few children from foreign countries; no complete classes were taken, just a handful of kids from varied countries to collect more information).

Setting up the ACTs for students to take part in is simple. Hijack planes (or, more recently, schoolbuses) of classes en route to "special" school trips to places out of the country. Once the plane was taken over, all authority would be killed, and any others on the plane besides students. Then, a tape of the ACT before would start rolling to psyche up the class. Once that was complete, Danya's instructional video would start rolling.

Rules of the Game
''Throughout the course of SOTF, two different rulebooks, both written by Danya, are known to have been published. Below is the rulebook for Season One. Whether or not it was used during the "trial runs" is currently unknown.''


 * DON'T try escaping the island. Try it if you want, and see for yourself that there is absolutely no way off the island. Try to swim off, and you shall be immediately shot down by one of our many patrols circling the island. A few kids in the last game tried it, and they were all brutally killed.


 * DON'T try to take off the necklace. Not a rule, per say, but a rule of caution. You won't be very lucky if you try to tamper with the necklaces...it explodes if you do. On that same note, the necklaces are 100% shock and waterproof, and through the necklaces we monitor your progress, your pulse, and see what you are currently doing. So, no funny business!


 * DON'T linger in a Danger Zone for too long. I mean, like the above, this is more like a rule of caution. During the Morning Announcements, from time to time Danger Zones shall be stated. Please take note that there won't be Danger Zones up all the time. We'd rather have you all kill each other off than to have the Danger Zones do the killing for you!


 * DON'T run around like an idiot, or scream like a wild banshee! Just a small suggestion, but I bet you unlucky little punks will be running around screaming like banshees in a few days from the start anyway, so....


 * DON'T sulk because you have a bad weapon! Smile, and bring it to the enemies. Your weapon doesn't dictate whether you are a loser or not. Your actions do. Be strong and survive.


 * DO kill one another. It's the aim of the game. Kill to survive, kill to win. Remember, there has to be at least one death per day, otherwise all the collars explode. You guys, luckily, are very expendable, so it doesn't matter that much if you die. Like the BR Act program always said, "Could you kill your best friend?" Well, with this, you kind of have to do that. That is, unless you, unluckily, are weak. The strong shall survive.


 * DO take note of the map. You'll need it, most likely, so why wouldn't you want to look over it?


 * DO listen to the Morning Announcements. I announce things for a reason, so listen! You never know if I'm in the mood to make it a Danger Zone day, or whomever died that day! So...listen.


 * DO be watchful, and cautious of others. Who knows is ready and willing to kill their best friend? Keep your eyes peeled, and proceed with caution.


 * DO read the intruction manual for your weapon(s). They'll be helpful in the end, believe it or not. Don't want to be the unlucky guy who forgot to take off the safety... (*cough*)


 * DO REMEMBER THE SLOGAN! "The strong will survive! The weak must die!" Take it to heart. You'll need it to lift your morale, trust me, you're luckier off with the slogan.

Good luck with the game, little fighters! Keep at it and maybe you'll be the one who lives!

Farewell and good luck,

Mr. Danya.

---

''During Season Two of the game, a new rulebook, once again written by Danya, was published and given to the students after their abduction. This rulebook was also used during Season Three of the game. You can read it below.''

Well hello, children! I'm absolutely, positively thrilled that you've chosen to read over this wonderful book that I've so laboriously crafted just for you -- it could be the difference between life and death, you see. The fact that you've even opened this book tells me one thing about you: you're smart. Perhaps smarter than I've given you credit for. Within this guide are some key facts you'll need to know in order to survive on this island... or should I say, perhaps prolong your lives a bit longer. What you'll need to survive, most of you don't have. However, little warriors, I'll get on with it.

The Collars.

So, what do you all need to know about the collars this go around? They're waterproof, they're shockproof, and they aren't removable. But don't take my word for it, please, try to remove them. You'll experience a rather painful demise. You see, much like the first model we used, these collars are also tamper-proof, and explode when messed with, effectively leaving a nice big gap where your neck used to be. As those of you who watched the previous SOTF might've noticed, the design's a bit different -- don't let it fool you, they're still just as menacing and lethal as ever.

The collars are a vital part of our little experiment here. They monitor your pulses. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security, children. We know where you are and what you're doing at all times. Just because we aren't responding doesn't mean we aren't watching you. If you cause us trouble, we can easily have you disqualified from the game... in a rather grisly and unpleasant manner, I might add. Keep that in mind before attempting yet another futile and pointless escape plan.

Danger Zones.

We can't have you all camping out in a certain location until the end of time, now can we? I'll be announcing new danger zones and clearing others during every announcement, so be on your toes. Don't linger anywhere for too long, that's almost ensuring that that area will become a danger zone. I've got to keep you kids on the run, you see. A spooked herd stampedes more easily, and all that jazz.

Morning Announcements.

You know, children, I make the announcements for your own good, so it would be in your best interests to listen, and listen intently. I'll be giving you a list of all of your fallen friends. I might even tell you who killed them, if I'm in the mood. Then you can enact exact retribution upon their murderer and all that good stuff. Makes for good ratings, you know. Not only will I give you a tally of the dead, but I'll also tell you which areas are becoming restricted. Take heed of that, children, because once an area becomes restricted, you're sealing your own fate by lingering within.

Kill or Be Killed.

Twenty-four hours. If we've not had at least one death over the course of one day, you'll all die. Doesn't seem fair, does it? That's why you should take the initiative, children, and make sure that at least one person dies every day. They say collar explosion is a very painful way to go. Not that I would know. Regardless, it would work in your favor to make sure that the kill count is met. I'd hate to have this game end prematurely, you see. It costs me ratings, and loss of ratings costs me money.

Cameras.

You might've noticed the cameras mounted in various places across the island. Much like the original SOTF, this one is being broadcast nationwide. Remember, kiddos, you're on television, so play to the crowd! This is a blood sport in the darkest sense of the word, and people are watching for the carnage they expect you to unleash. Don't disappoint me. On the subject of cameras, it's also safe to remind you that you're being watched at all times -- not only by me, but by people around the world. Do something interesting, little warriors, make me proud!

Take Heed of Others.

I leave you with these parting words. It may seem like a great idea to team up with friends and attempt to take on the system. Remember -- you aren't the first person to have this ingenious idea, and odds are, you won't be the last. You can't defeat me. Groups seem smart. They aren't. There's always a weak link. Always someone who can't be trusted. Just because you aren't willing to do unto others, children, doesn't mean that others out there are so kind. This is a game about deceit. It's a game about murder. Be wary of others. Could you kill your best friend? ... What if your best friend could kill you?

Versions of the Act
The ACT has changed a lot through time. The earlier versions included teachers as well as students and a smaller selection of weapons. Lots of experimentations, as expected. Once everything had been figured out, V0 (the "Sydney Morvran version") was broadcast in the United States. It was a small scale project, only able to be caught on satellite. V1 (the " Barry Coleson High version", or the first version of the roleplay) was broadcast all over the United States on all major television channels.

The first ever Survival of the Fittest was held on February 14th, lasting until February 17th, 2005. The students and teachers of a class from Jerrington High School are issued mediocre weapons and forced to kill each other within a three day time period. No one survived. This version, the first "trial run" of the SOTF program, is dubbed V0.1 and is considered SOTF's first failure.

The second trial run of the SOTF program, V0.2, begins on March 5, 2005, and runs until March 9, 2005. Eleventh grade students from Ridgeview High School, along with their teachers, are abducted and forced into the ACT. This time, the time limit for the game is expanded to five days. A winner -- T01, Daniel Tyle -- emerges after four days on the island. He is held over and is to be transplanted into the next trial run, but dies as the result of an infection incurred from his wounds before the next game begins.

On March 17, 2005, test run number three, V0.3, is conducted using twelfth grade students from Oliver Ames High School. This game spanned the course of three days, ending on March 20, 2005. Ashley Ben Wo Hen emerges as winner and is held at Danya's base of operations, to be transplanted into the next trial run. During V0.3, several defects in the collars were found. After the successful completion of V0.3, the collars are redesigned.

Redesign of the collars is soon complete, and on April 12, 2005, the fourth test run, V0.4, begins, using eleventh and twelfth grade students from Claremont High School. The game is once again lengthened, this time to six days, and the teachers -- who had caused trouble as figures of authority in past games -- are removed from the playing field and instead slaughtered before the game begins. Version V0.4 ends well ahead of schedule, lasting only three days and ending on April 15, 2005. The winner -- Aaron Zigmanfield -- is held at Headquarters and transplanted into the next game.

Statistics from the previous games show that students who are not issued guns as weapons are dying much more rapidly than their gun-wielding counterparts. Therefore, the next trial run of SOTF has to do with weaponry. Students from Eastview High School are used for this competition and weaponry is upgraded from the mediocre objects previously issued to better-suited weaponry. The game plays much better than the last, ending in four days on April 22, 2005. However, the winner starts attacking the soldiers escorting her off the island, forcing her collar to be detonated and meaning no winner emerges from the game.

With the sudden disappearances of so many classes from across the U.S., people are starting to become more alert. So, for the next trial run of the program, a group of tenth grade students from Yeogang High School in South Korea is used. Beginning on May 14, 2005, this game lasts much longer than the previous ones, being completed in seven days. The winner, Sun Jung Seung, is held at Headquarters for transplant into the next trial run.

The next trial run, V0.7, begins the day after V0.6 ends. This time, students from Ross Smith Secondary School are used. The game ends abruptly on May 25, 2005, from lack of participation on the part of the students. Data is retrieved from the seven trial runs and compiled into reports. Before the final trial run of SOTF (dubbed V0 and to be aired on satellite television), one final exercise was run concerning SOTF. This time, though, it was a training exercise for Danya's terrorists (codenamed the Arthro Taskforce, or AT).

The largest trial run to date, students from Greenwich High School, John T. Killian High School, Crescent Heights High School and West Island School are abducted on May 26, 2005. They are placed onto the playing field with no weapons, while the AT members are suited up and deposited onto the field as well. The object? To eliminate all the students. Danya called it a "hardening" exercise for his task force. The students proved to be a bit more difficult a target than first anticipated, and several AT members were killed during the game. It lasted five days, ending on May 31, 2005.

On June 12, 2005, classes from Shaker High School and Aberthol High School are abducted and forced into what is to be the first aired version of SOTF -- dubbed V0. The game lasts six days, ending on June 18, 2005. A winner, Sydney Morvran, emerges, but is forced into the first nationally-aired version of SOTF, dubbed V1, as punishment for not killing anybody.

V1 worked on rules that were a little different. Several classrooms are taken from all over the country and forced into a televised ACT. The weapons vary greatly, and there is no time limit. Instead, at least one student has to be killed every 24 hours, otherwise everyone dies. It lasts from June 19th, 2005 (the day that the Barry Coleson High children were kidnapped) until June 29th, 2005 (day ten). Adam Dodd emerges as the winner and is the first student to participate in an SOTF program and be released afterward.

A year passes before the next SOTF program is held. On June 19, 2006, Bathurst High School, Franklyn Senior High School, Hobbsborough High School and P.J. Gilroy Academy are abducted and forced into the second televised SOTF ACT. As with the first game, there is no time limit. The game ends on June 28, 2006, with Bryan Calvert being declared the winner.

Nearly another year passes by with no news of SOTF. On May 21, 2007, a group of students from Southridge High School are abducted and forced into the third televised SOTF ACT. While the game does end with a winner, J.R. Rizzolo, it is complicated by the return of Jack O'Connor's virus, which brings down the terrorists' systems and allows a large group of students to remove their collars and mount an escape attempt, though many of them are killed fighting a platoon of Danya's soldiers. Two of them, Maxie Dasai and Brad Kavanagh, have been confirmed to successfully escape, while the fate of the remaining escapees is, as of now, unknown.

Almost exactly one year later, during May 2008, nearly three hundred seniors from Bayview Secondary School are taken from their senior trip and made to fight in the fourth ACT. Everything appears to be going well during the first several days, but the ACT is thrown into chaos when STAR makes a raid on the island and Headquarters. An unknown but presumably large number of terrorists are killed, twenty-nine of the students are rescued and Danya is assassinated, though the game continues regardless. However, with its original leader dead, no one knows what will become of SOTF. Jim Greynolds has taken at least temporary command of the organisation, and a winner - Kimberly Nguyen - was eventually found.